This paper examines the concept of the light as a symbol of hope and a guide in the poetry of E. A. Robinson who is considered to be America’s first modern poet. Robinson lived in an age that witnessed the decadence and the disintegration of America and the whole world at all levels: social, political, economic, and spiritual. Unimpeachably, his role as a poet demanded for him to reflect upon the problems arising and to inseminate in the people of his time a glimmer of hope which would help them continue living. Such an optimistic vision manifests itself in his concept of light which is symptomatic of hope. The individuals he portrays in his poetry are led by this guiding light whose absence testifies to the fact that darkness dominates the situation. For example, Credo, Richard Cory, and other characters seem to have lost sight of the inner light, a light that is parallel to faith. They move between moments of despair and hope, pessimism and optimism, darkness and light. Eventually, the paper concludes that Robinson presented in his poetry a kind of optimistic philosophy that was an urgent necessity in his age in order to encounter the pressures of life with bravery, fortitude, and determination.